Garden bean variety ‘Memphis’

ABSTRACT

A new variety of garden bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris  L.) designated ‘Memphis’ is provided. Garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ is characterized by its long fleshy flat pods, its heat tolerance, very erect plant (especially for this bean type), and resistance to  Colletotrichum lindemuthianum  (Anthracnose) and resistance to  Pseudomonas syringae  pv  phaseolicola  (Halo Blight).

FIELD

This invention relates to the field of plant breeding. In particular,this invention relates to a new and distinctive garden bean, Phaseolusvulgaris L., designated ‘Memphis’.

BACKGROUND

Cultivated forms of garden bean belong to the highly variable speciesPhaseolus vulgaris L. that is commonly grown for its seeds (beans) andfruits (pods), which are harvested together as an immature pod beforethe seeds have fully matured. This immature pod is known by manydifferent names, including common bean, green bean, string bean, snapbean, French bean, haricot bean, and filet bean. As a crop, garden beanis grown commercially wherever environmental conditions permit theproduction of an economically viable yield. Bean cultivars may begrouped by their growth habit into two groups. Bush or dwarf cultivarsgrow as erect bushes or short vines, do not require support, and arecommonly grown on commercial farms. Pole, climbing, or running cultivarsgrow as long vines that climb supports, and are commonly grown in homevegetable gardens. The size of garden bean pods ranges from small tolarge, and from narrow, round French types to wide, flat Roma types.More recent developments in garden bean breeding have led to a widerarray of fruit color. In addition to the standard green color, pods canbe purple, red, yellow, or mottled. Garden beans are consumed fresh orcooked, and can be sold in fresh, frozen, dried, or canned form.

Phaseolus is a genus within the family Fabaceae and consists of about 70species Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) is one of the largest land plantfamilies, with an estimated 19,000 species, and contains multiple cropspecies including lentil, chickpea, soybean, bean, pea, peanut, andalfalfa. The leguminous plants of this family are characterized by theirsymbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria, which fix atmospheric nitrogen thatis eventually released into the soil. Legumes are therefore often usedto increase the nitrogen content of soil, and frequently grown either inrotation or concurrently with other crops. One example of this is foundin indigenous North American agriculture, where beans are a member ofthe “Three Sisters” and are planted with squash and maize.

Phaseolus vulgaris L. is a highly variable species with a wide diversityof phenotypes. P. vulgaris L is native to the Americas and has a longhistory of cultivation dating from the second millennium BCE andspanning South and North America. There are three broad types of beancultivars, namely dry bean, shelling bean, and green bean. Two separatedomestication events from two genetically distinct wild populations inMiddle America and the Andes resulted in two distinct gene pools amongbean cultivars (Gepts, Hort Science, 33:7, 1124-1130, 1998). These twogene pools can be distinguished using phenotypic and geneticcharacteristics, and each provides qualities useful in developing newbean cultivars. Each gene pool has been used to develop differentcommercial seed classes; in the Andean gene pool, the Nueva Granada raceincludes kidney beans and green beans, while in the Middle America pool,the Mesoamerican race includes navy and black beans, and the Durangorace includes pinto beans.

Garden bean is an important and valuable crop. Thus, there is acontinued need for new garden bean varieties. In particular, there is aneed for improved garden bean varieties that are stable, high yielding,and agronomically sound.

SUMMARY

In order to meet this need, the present invention provides an improvedgarden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) variety ‘Memphis’ (Breeder'sdesignation ‘PV-933’). In one embodiment, the present disclosureprovides a seed of garden bean variety designated ‘Memphis’, wherein arepresentative sample of seed of the variety has been deposited underNCIMB Accession No. 43749. In another embodiment, the present disclosureprovides a garden bean plant produced by growing the seed. Also providedis a garden bean plant having all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of garden bean variety designated ‘Memphis’. In afurther embodiment, the present disclosure provides a plant part fromthe garden bean plant, which in some embodiments is a leaf, a pod, agarden bean hull, a garden bean, a stem, a root, or a flower.Additionally, the present disclosure provides a tissue culture ofregenerable cells produced from a plant part selected from the groupconsisting of embryos, meristematic cells, leaves, pollen, roots, roottips, stems, anthers, pistils, pods, flowers, and seeds. Moreover, agarden bean plant regenerated from the tissue culture is provided,wherein the plant has all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.

The present disclosure is also directed to a method for producing ahybrid garden bean seed, comprising crossing a first parent garden beanplant with a second parent garden bean plant and harvesting theresultant hybrid garden bean seed, wherein the first parent garden beanplant or the second parent garden bean plant is the plant of thepreceding paragraph. In some embodiments, the present disclosureprovides a hybrid garden bean seed produced by the method, as well as agarden bean plant produced by growing the seed, and a plant partisolated from the plant.

In addition, the present disclosure is directed to a method forproducing a transgenic garden bean plant, comprising transforming theplant of the preceding paragraphs with a transgene that confers a trait.In some embodiments, the trait is selected from the group consisting ofherbicide resistance, insect resistance, disease resistance, and acombination thereof. In a subset of these embodiments, the trait isherbicide resistance, and the herbicide is selected from the groupconsisting of imidazolinone, sulfonylurea, glyphosate, glufosinate,L-phosphinothricin, triazine, and benzonitrile. In another embodiment,the trait is insect resistance, and the insect resistance is conferredby a transgene encoding a Bacillus thuringiensis endotoxin. In someembodiments, the present disclosure provides a transgenic garden beanplant, or a plant part thereof, produced by the method.

Furthermore, the present disclosure is directed to a method forintroducing a trait into garden bean variety ‘Memphis’, the methodcomprising: (a) crossing a plant of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’,wherein a representative sample of seed of the variety has beendeposited under NCIMB Accession No 43749, with another garden bean plantthat comprises a trait to produce F₁ progeny plants, wherein the traitis selected from the group consisting of insect resistance, diseaseresistance, water stress tolerance, heat tolerance, improved shelf-life,improved nutritional quality, improved yield, and a combination thereof;(b) selecting one or more progeny plants that have the trait to produceselected progeny plants; (c) backcrossing the selected progeny plantswith plants of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ to produce backcrossprogeny plants; (d) selecting for backcross progeny plants that have thetrait; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) one or more times to producefurther backcross progeny plants that have the trait. In someembodiments, the trait is herbicide resistance, and the herbicide isselected from the group consisting of imidazolinone, sulfonylurea,glyphosate, glufosinate, L-phosphinothricin, triazine, and benzonitrile.In another embodiment, the trait is insect resistance, and the insectresistance is conferred by a transgene encoding a Bacillus thuringiensisendotoxin. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a gardenbean plant, or a plant part thereof, produced by the method, wherein theplant has the trait and otherwise has all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.

Also, the present disclosure is directed to a method for producing agarden bean pod, comprising: (a) cultivating the plant of the precedingparagraphs to produce a garden bean pod; and (b) harvesting the gardenbean pod. Moreover, the garden bean pod produced by the method isprovided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one color photograph.Copies of this patent or patent application publication with colorphotographs will be provided by the office upon request and payment ofthe necessary fee.

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ (Breeder's designation ‘PV-933’),showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with coloredreproductions of this type.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of plants of Memphis in the field.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of pods of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of pods in cross section of garden bean variety‘Memphis’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention provides compositions and methods relating to seeds,plants and plant parts of a novel garden bean variety designated‘Memphis’.

I. Definitions

In the description and tables that follow, a number of terms are used.In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided.

The use of the terms “a,” “an,” and “the,” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the invention (especially in the context of theclaims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural,unless otherwise indicated or clearly contradicted by the context. Theterms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to beconstrued as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limitedto,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values are merelyintended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually toeach separate value falling within the range, unless otherwiseindicated, and each separate value is incorporated into thespecification as if it were individually recited. For example, if therange 10-15 is disclosed, then 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are disclosed.All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable orderunless otherwise indicated or clearly contradicted by context. The useof any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) isintended merely to better illustrate the invention and does not pose alimitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. Nolanguage in the specification should be construed as indicating anynon-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussedabove, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications,permutations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof. It is thereforeintended that the following appended claims and claims hereafterintroduced are interpreted to include all such modifications,permutations, additions, and sub-combinations as are within their truespirit and scope.

Allele: The allele is any of one or more alternative form of a gene, allof which alleles relates to one trait or characteristic. In a diploidcell or organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy correspondingloci on a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Anthracnose: A seedling disease caused by the pathogen Colletotrichumlindemuthianum L. Symptoms include dark brown to black sunken lesions onthe cotyledons and stems. Severely infected cotyledons senesceprematurely, and growth of the plant is stunted. Diseased areas maygirdle the stem and kill the seedling. Also known as Fungus BeanAnthracnose.Backcrossing: Backcrossing is a process in which a breeder repeatedlycrosses hybrid progeny back to one of the parents, for example, afirst-generation hybrid F₁ with one of the parental genotypes of the F₁hybrid.Bacterial brown spot: A bean disease caused by the pathogen Pseudomonassyringae pv. Syringae. Symptoms include small water-soaked spots thatdevelop into distinctive necrotic brown spots about 3-8 mm in diameteron the pods, often with a narrow, diffuse yellow margin.Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BCMV): An insect-transmitted disease withworldwide distribution that can lead to low quality harvest product andyield losses up to 100%. Resistance to this disease is highly desirable.Bean rust: A defoliating bean disease caused by the pathogen Uromycesappendiculatus. Symptoms include rust-colored pustules often surroundedby a chlorotic halo. The disease occurs worldwide and can destroy anentire crop if conditions are favorable.Bean yield (tons/acre): The yield in tons/acre is the actual yield ofthe bean pods at harvest.Determinate plant: A determinate plant will grow to a fixed number ofnodes while an indeterminate plant continues to grow during the season.Emergence: The rate that the seed germinates and sprouts out of theground.Essentially all the physiological and morphological characteristics: Aplant having essentially all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of another plant means a plant having the physiologicaland morphological characteristics, except for the characteristicsderived from the converted gene, of the other plant.Field holding ability: A bean plant that has field holding ability meansa plant having pods that remain smooth and retain their color even afterthe seed is almost fully developed.Fruit: A ripened ovary, together with any other structures that ripenwith the ovary and form a unit. In garden bean, the fruit is the podwhile the seed is the bean.Immunity to disease(s) and/or insect(s): A bean plant which is notsubject to attack or infection by specific disease(s) and or insect(s)is considered immune.Intermediate resistance to disease(s) and/or insect(s): A bean plantthat restricts the growth and development of specific disease(s) and orinsect(s) but may exhibit a greater range of symptoms or damage comparedto resistant plants. Intermediate resistant plants will usually showless severe symptoms or damage than susceptible plant varieties whengrown under similar environmental conditions and/or specific disease(s)and or insect(s) pressure but may have heavy damage under heavypressure. Intermediate resistant bean plants are not immune to thedisease(s) and or insect(s).Machine or mechanical harvest: A machine harvestable plant means a beanplant from which the pods can be removed from the plant using one ofseveral commercial mechanical harvesters in such a manner as to reducethe number of broken pods, clusters, and extraneous plant matterharvested with the desired pods.Maturity: A maturity under 53 days is considered early, while a maturitybetween 54-59 days is considered average or medium, and a maturity of 60or more days would be late.Maturity date: Plants are considered mature when the pods have reachedtheir maximum allowable seed size and sieve size for the specific useintended. This can vary for each end user, e.g., processing at differentstages of maturity would be required for different types of consumerbeans, such as “whole pack,” “cut,” or “French style.” The number ofdays is calculated from a relative planting date which depends on daylength, heat units, and other environmental factors.Plant adaptability: A plant having good plant adaptability means a plantthat will perform well in different growing conditions and seasons.Plant architecture: Plant architecture is the shape of the overall plantwhich can be tall-narrow, short-wide, medium height, and/or mediumwidth.Plant habit: A plant can be erect (upright) to sprawling on the ground.Plant height: Plant height is taken from the top of the soil to the topnode of the plant and is measured in centimeters or inches.Plant part: A plant part means any part of a plant including, forexample, a cell, protoplast, embryo, pollen, ovule, flower, leaf, stein,cotyledon, hypocotyl, meristematic cell, root, root tip, pistil, anther,shoot tip, shoot, fruit and petiole.Pod position: The pod set height is the location of the pods within theplant. The pods can be high (near the top), low (near the bottom), ormedium (in the middle) of the plant.QTL Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits that are usually continuously distributed.Regeneration: Regeneration refers to the development of a plant fromtissue culture.Resistance to disease(s) and/or insect(s): A bean plant that restrictsthe growth and development of specific disease(s) and or insect(s) undernormal disease(s) and or insect(s) attack pressure when compared tosusceptible plants. These bean plants can exhibit some symptoms ordamage under heavy disease(s) and or insect(s) pressure. Resistant beanplants are not immune to the disease(s) and or insect(s).Seed development: The rate at which seeds develop as pods reach theirharvest diameter. A slow seed development characteristic will give acultivar its field holding ability, and a larger harvest window.Sieve size (sv): Sieve size 1 means pods that fall through a sievegrader which culls out pod diameters of 4.76 mm through 5.76 mm. Sievesize 2 means pods that fall through a sieve grader which culls out poddiameters of 5.76 mm through 7.34 mm. Sieve size 3 means pods that fallthrough a sieve grader which culls out pod diameters of 7.34 mm through8.34 mm. Sieve size 4 means pods that fall through a sieve grader whichculls out pod diameters of 8.34 mm through 9.53 mm. Sieve size 5 meanspods that fall through a sieve grader which culls out pod diameters of9.53 mm through 10.72 mm. Sieve size 6 means pods that fall through asieve grader that will cull out pod diameters of 10.72 mm or larger.Single gene converted: Single gene converted, or conversion plant refersto plants which are developed by a plant breeding technique calledbackcrossing wherein essentially all of the desired morphological andphysiological characteristics of an inbred are recovered in addition tothe single gene transferred into the inbred via the backcrossingtechnique or via genetic engineering.Susceptible to disease(s) and or insect(s). A bean plant that issusceptible to disease(s) and or insect(s) is defined as a bean plantthat has the inability to restrict the growth and development ofspecific disease(s) and or insect(s). Plants that are susceptible willshow damage when infected and are more likely to have heavy damage undermoderate levels of specific disease(s) and or insect(s).Vegetative propagation: Means taking part of a plant and allowing thatplant part to form roots where plant part is defined as leaf, pollen,embryo, cotyledon, hypocotyl, meristematic cell, root, root tip, pistil,anther, flower, shoot tip, shoot, stem, fruit and petiole.

II. Overview of Garden Bean Variety ‘Memphis’

Described herein is a new and distinct garden bean variety designated‘Memphis’, which has superior characteristics. Garden bean variety‘Memphis’ is a garden bean variety with flat pods bred for the fresh andprocessing market. Key selection criteria used to select ‘Memphis’include concentrated setting, heat tolerance, erect plant habit, flatand fleshy pods and Halo blight resistance. In large scale trials it hasshown good heat tolerance. The pods and leaves are medium-dark green. Itis resistant to several races of the fungus Anthracnose (Colletotrichumlindemuthianum) and has resistance to Halo Blight (Pseudomonas syringaepv phaseolicola).

Garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ is uniform and stable within commerciallyacceptable limits. As is true with other garden bean varieties, a smallpercentage of variants can occur within commercially acceptable limitsfor almost any characteristic during the course of repeatedmultiplication.

III. Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Garden BeanVariety ‘Memphis’

Plant

Growth type: dwarf

Flower color: white

Anthocyanin coloration of hypocotyl: absent

Dwarf type: non-vining

Dwarf Plant height: high

Leaves

Intensity of green color: medium to dark

Rugosity: strong to very strong

Terminal leaflet size: medium to large

Terminal leaflet shape: triangular to circular

Terminal leaflet: medium to long acuminate

Inflorescence location: partly in foliage

Flower

Size of bract: small

Color of standard: white

Color of wing: white

Pods

Length (excluding beak): long (17-18 cm)

Width at maximum point: very broad (19-20 mm)

Transversal width: medium (11 mm)

Ratio transversal with/width at maximum point: very small to small

Shape of cross section (through seed): small elliptic

Ground color: green

Intensity of ground color: medium to dark

Secondary color: absent

Stringiness on ventral suture: absent

Degree of curvature: weak to medium

Shape of curvature: concave

Shape of distal part (excluding beak): truncate

Length of beak: short to medium

Curvature of beak: weak

Texture of surface: smooth to moderately rough

Constrictions (at dry stage): absent or very weak

Seed

Weight high to very high (approx 45 grams)

Shape of median longitudinal section rectangular

Degree of curvature: very weak to weak

Shape of median cross section: broad elliptic

Width in cross section: medium to broad

Length: short to medium

Number of colors: one

Main color (largest area): white

Veining: very weak to weak

Time to Flowering: (50% plants with at least one flower): medium

Disease Resistance

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum race 6): Present

Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV): Present with necrosis

Halo blight (Pseudomonassyringae pv. phaseolicola race 6): Present

Comparison to Other Garden Bean Varieties

Garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ most closely resembles garden bean variety‘Platini’ (Breeder designation: PV-813), (U.S. Pat. No. 9,648,833).

‘Memphis’ is resistant to the bacterial disease Halo blight (Pseudomonassyringae pv. phaseolicola race 6), whereas ‘Platini’ is susceptible.When scored 7 days after inoculation of seedlings with a 2 day oldbacterial suspension (optical density of 1.0), ‘Memphis’ showed minorsymptoms with dry necrotic-like spots (resistant), while the seedlingsof ‘Platini’ showed larger spots that remained wet, turning intosystemic symptoms (susceptible). Further, the plants of ‘Memphis’ stayslightly shorter than Platini and are more erect than Platini. Moreoverpods of Memphis are slightly less wide than the pods of Platini (19.5 vs20.5 mm)

IV. Further Embodiments

Gene Conversions

When the term “garden bean plant” is used in the context of the presentinvention, this also includes any gene conversions of that variety. Theterm “gene converted plant” as used herein refers to those garden beanplants which are developed by backcrossing, genetic engineering, geneediting, or mutation, where essentially all of the desired morphologicaland physiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in additionto the one or more genes transferred into the variety via thebackcrossing technique, genetic engineering, gene editing or mutation.Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improveor introduce a characteristic into the variety. The term “backcrossing”as used herein refers to the repeated crossing of a hybrid progeny backto the recurrent parent, i.e., backcrossing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,or more times to the recurrent parent. The parental garden bean plantwhich contributes the gene for the desired characteristic is termed the“nonrecurrent” or “donor parent.” This terminology refers to the factthat the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcross protocoland therefore does not recur. The parental garden bean plant to whichthe gene or genes from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred is knownas the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in thebackcrossing protocol. In a typical backcross protocol, the originalvariety of interest (recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety(nonrecurrent parent) that carries the gene of interest to betransferred. The resulting progeny from this cross are then crossedagain to the recurrent parent and the process is repeated until a gardenbean plant is obtained where essentially all of the desiredmorphological and physiological characteristics of the recurrent parentare recovered in the converted plant, in addition to the transferredgene from the nonrecurrent parent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a trait or characteristic in the original line.To accomplish this, a gene of the recurrent variety is modified orsubstituted with the desired gene from the nonrecurrent parent, whileretaining essentially all of the rest of the desired genetic, andtherefore the desired physiological and morphological, constitution ofthe original line. The choice of the particular nonrecurrent parent willdepend on the purpose of the backcross. One of the major purposes is toadd some commercially desirable, agronomically important trait to theplant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristicor trait being altered to determine an appropriate testing protocol.Although backcrossing methods are simplified when the characteristicbeing transferred is a dominant allele, a recessive allele may also betransferred. In this instance it may be necessary to introduce a test ofthe progeny to determine if the desired characteristic has beensuccessfully transferred.

Many gene traits have been identified that are not regularly selected inthe development of a new line but that can be improved by backcrossingtechniques. Examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,male sterility, modified fatty acid metabolism, modified carbohydratemetabolism, herbicide resistance, resistance for bacterial, fungal, orviral disease, insect resistance, enhanced nutritional quality,industrial usage, yield stability, and yield enhancement. These genesare generally inherited through the nucleus.

Tissue Culture

Further reproduction of the variety can occur by tissue culture andregeneration. Tissue culture of various tissues of garden bean andregeneration of plants therefrom is well known and widely described. Forexample, reference may be made to McClean et al., Plant Sci.,60:117-122, 1989; Mergeai et al., B.I.C. Invit. Papers, 33:115-116,1990: Vanderwesthuizen et al., S. Afr. J. Boi. 56:271-273, 1990;Benedicic et al., Abst. 5th I.A.P.T.C. Cong. 1:91 (#A3-33), 1990;Franklin et al., Plant Cell Tissue Org. Cult., 24:199-206, 1991; Maliket al., Planta, 184:148-150, 1991; Malik et al., Planta. 186:384-389,1992; Lewis et al., J. Am. Soc. Hort. Sci., 119.361, 1994; and Song etal., J. Plant Physiol. 146:148-154, 1995. It is clear from theliterature that the state of the art is such that these methods ofobtaining plants are routinely used and have a very high rate ofsuccess. Thus, another aspect of this invention is to provide cellswhich upon growth and differentiation produce garden bean plants havingthe physiological and morphological characteristics of variety‘Memphis’.

As used herein, the term “tissue culture” indicates a compositioncontaining isolated cells of the same or a different type or acollection of such cells organized into parts of a plant. Exemplarytypes of tissue cultures are protoplasts, calli, meristematic cells, andplant cells that can generate tissue culture that are intact in plantsor parts of plants, such as leaves, pollen, embryos, roots, root tips,anthers, pistils, flowers, seeds, petioles, suckers, and the like. Meansfor preparing and maintaining plant tissue culture are well known in theart. The cells of the tissue culture of the current disclosure may beproduced from any suitable plant part of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.In some embodiments, the cells of the tissue culture are produced from aplant part selected from the group consisting of embryos, meristematiccells, leaves, pollen, roots, root tips, stems, anthers, pistils, pods,flowers, and seeds.

Transgenic Plants

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides methods for producing atransgenic garden bean plant comprising transforming a plant of gardenbean variety ‘Memphis’ with a transgene that confers a trait.

As used herein, the term “transgene” refers to a nucleic acid moleculeartificially incorporated into a host cell's genome. Such transgene maybe heterologous to the host cell. As used herein, the term“heterologous” refers to a sequence which is not normally present in agiven host genome in the genetic context in which the sequence iscurrently found. In this respect, the sequence may be native to the hostgenome, but be rearranged with respect to other genetic sequences withinthe host sequence. The term “transgenic plant” refers to a plantcomprising such a transgene or pan thereof. A “transgenic plant”includes a plant, plant part, a plant cell or seed whose genome has beenaltered by the integration of such a transgene or part thereof. Atransgenic plant includes a plant regenerated from an originallytransformed plant cell and progeny transgenic plants from latergenerations or crosses of a transformed plant.

As used herein, the term “transformation” and “transforming” a plantcell encompasses all techniques by which a nucleic acid molecule may beintroduced into such a cell Examples include but are not limited to:transfection with viral vectors; transformation with plasmid vectors;electroporation; microinjection, Agrobacterium-mediated transfer; directDNA uptake; Whiskers-mediated transformation; and microprojectilebombardment. Methods of plant transformation are well known in the art.For example, reference may be made to Draper et al., Blackwell Sci. Pub.Oxford, p. 365, 1988; Potrykus and Spangenburg, Springer-Verlag, 1995;and Gelvin et al., Plant Mol. Biol. Manual. 1993. A review of transgenicplants, including transformation techniques, is provided in Galun andBreiman, Transgenic Plants, 1997. Additionally, the followingrepresentative publications disclose transformation protocols that maybe used to genetically transform garden beans: Veltcheva, et al, Sci.Hortic. 107:2-10, 2005; Liu et al., Mol. Breed 16:189-197, 2005;Brasileiro et al., J. Am. Soc. Hortic. Sci. 121:810-815, 1996; Zambre etal., Theor. Appl. Genet. 110.914-924, 2005; Oldroyd et al., PlantPhysiol. 137:1205-1210, 2005; and Estrada-Navarrete et al., Nat Protoc.2(7):1819-24, 2007.

The trait may be any suitable trait known in the art including, forexample, male sterility, male fertility, herbicide resistance, insect orpest (e.g., insect and/or nematode) resistance, disease resistance(e.g., for bacterial, fungal and/or viral disease), water stresstolerance, heat tolerance, salt tolerance, modified fatty acidmetabolism, modified carbohydrate metabolism, improved shelf-life,improved nutritional quality, increased sweetness, increased flavor,improved ripening control, improved yield, industrial usage, or anycombination thereof. In some embodiments, the trait is selected from thegroup consisting of herbicide resistance, insect resistance, diseaseresistance, and a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the trait of herbicide resistance confersresistance to glyphosate, sulfonylurea, imidazolinone, dicamba,glufosinate, phenoxy proprionic acid, L-phosphinothricin, cyclohexone,cyclohexanedione, triazine, benzonitrile, or any combination thereof. Insome embodiments, the herbicide is selected from the group consisting ofimidazolinone, sulfonylurea, glyphosate, glufosinate,L-phosphinothricin, triazine, and benzonitrile.

In some embodiments, the trait of insect resistance is conferred byBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein, a derivative thereof, or asynthetic polypeptide modelled thereon. See, for example, Geiser, etal., Gene, 48:109 (1986), which discloses the cloning and nucleotidesequence of a Bt δ-endotoxin gene. Moreover, DNA molecules encodingδ-endotoxin genes can be purchased from American Type CultureCollection, Manassas, Va., for example, under ATCC Accession Nos. 40098,67136, 31995, and 31998.

In some embodiments, the trait of disease resistance confers resistanceto anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum), bean rust (Uromycesappendiculatus), bacterial brown spot (Pseudomonas syringae pvsyringae), halo blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola), beancommon mosaic virus (BCMV), or any combination thereof.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a transgenic gardenbean plant derived from garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ according to anyof the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the transgenicgarden bean plant have at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more ofthe morphological and physiological characteristics of garden beanvariety ‘Memphis’ (e.g., as described herein, in particular, in SectionIII), or even all of the morphological and physiological characteristicsof garden bean variety ‘Memphis’, so that said plants are notsignificantly different for said traits than garden bean variety‘Memphis’, as determined at the 5% significance level when grown in thesame environmental conditions, optionally, with the presence of one ormore desired additional traits (e.g., disease resistance, insectresistance, and/or herbicide resistance).

Additional Breeding Methods

The invention is also directed to methods for producing a garden beanplant by crossing a first parent garden bean plant with a second parentgarden bean plant where the first or second parent garden bean plant isa garden bean plant of variety ‘Memphis’ Further, both first and secondparent garden bean plants can come from garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.Thus, any such methods using garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ are part ofthe invention: selfing, backcrosses, hybrid production, crosses topopulations, and the like. All plants produced using garden bean variety‘Memphis’ as at least one parent is within the scope of this invention,including those developed from varieties derived from garden beanvariety ‘Memphis’. Advantageously, this garden bean variety could beused in crosses with other, different, garden bean plants to produce thefirst generation (F₁) garden bean hybrid seeds and plants with superiorcharacteristics. The variety of the invention can also be used fortransformation where exogenous genes are introduced and expressed by thevariety of the invention. Genetic variants created either throughtraditional breeding methods using garden bean variety ‘Memphis’, orthrough transformation of variety ‘Memphis’ by any of a number ofprotocols known to those of skill in the art are intended to be withinthe scope of this invention.

The following describes breeding methods that may be used with gardenbean variety ‘Memphis’ in the development of further garden bean plants.One such embodiment is a method for developing variety ‘Memphis’ progenygarden bean plants in a garden bean plant breeding program, by:obtaining the garden bean plant, or a part thereof, of variety‘Memphis’, utilizing said plant or plant part as a source of breedingmaterial, and selecting a garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ progeny plantwith molecular markers in common with variety ‘Memphis’ and/or withmorphological and/or physiological characteristics of variety ‘Memphis’.Breeding steps that may be used in the garden bean plant breedingprogram include pedigree breeding, backcrossing, mutation breeding, andrecurrent selection. In conjunction with these steps, techniques such asRFLP-enhanced selection, genetic marker enhanced selection (for example,SSR markers), and the making of double haploids may be utilized.

Another method involves producing a population of garden bean variety‘Memphis’ progeny garden bean plants, by crossing variety ‘Memphis’ withanother garden bean plant, thereby producing a population of garden beanplants, which, on average, derive 50% of their alleles from garden beanvariety ‘Memphis’. A plant of this population may be selected andrepeatedly selfed or sibbed with a garden bean variety resulting fromthese successive filial generations. One embodiment of this invention isthe garden bean variety produced by this method and that has obtained atleast 50% of its alleles from garden bean variety ‘Memphis’. One ofordinary skill in the art of plant breeding would know how to evaluatethe traits of two plant varieties to determine if there is nosignificant difference between the two traits expressed by thosevarieties (see, e.g., Fehr and Walt, Principles of Variety Development,pp. 261-286. 1987). Thus, the invention includes garden bean variety‘Memphis’ progeny garden bean plants containing a combination of atleast two variety ‘Memphis’ traits described above, so that said progenygarden bean plant is not significantly different for said traits thangarden bean variety ‘Memphis’ as determined at the 5% significance levelwhen grown in the same environmental conditions. Using techniquesdescribed herein, molecular markers may be used to identify said progenyplant as a garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ progeny plant. Mean traitvalues may be used to determine whether trait differences aresignificant, and preferably the traits are measured on plants grownunder the same environmental conditions. Once such a variety isdeveloped, its value is substantial since it is important to advance thegermplasm base as a whole in order to maintain or improve traits such asyield, disease resistance, pest resistance, and plant performance inextreme environmental conditions.

Progeny of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ may also be characterizedthrough their filial relationship with garden bean variety ‘Memphis’, asfor example, being within a certain number of breeding crosses of gardenbean variety ‘Memphis’. A breeding cross is a cross made to introducenew genetics into the progeny, and is distinguished from a cross, suchas a self or a sib cross, made to select among existing genetic alleles.The lower the number of breeding crosses in the pedigree, the closer therelationship between garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ and its progeny. Forexample, progeny produced by the methods described herein may be within1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 breeding crosses of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.

Trait Introduction

When using a transgene, the trait is generally not incorporated intoeach newly developed variety, such as garden bean variety ‘Memphis’, bydirect transformation. Rather, the more typical method used by breedersof ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the transgene is to take avariety already carrying the transgene and to use such variety as adonor to transfer the transgene into the newly developed line bybackcrossing. The same would apply for a naturally occurring trait orone arising from spontaneous or induced mutations. As used herein, theterm “backcrossing” refers to a process in which a breeder repeatedlycrosses hybrid progeny back to one of the parents, for example, afirst-generation hybrid F₁ with one of the parental genotypes of the F₁hybrid. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the present disclosureprovides a method for introducing a trait into garden bean variety‘Memphis’, the method comprising. (a) crossing a plant of garden beanvariety ‘Memphis’ with another garden bean plant that comprises a traitto produce F₁ progeny plants, wherein the trait is selected from thegroup consisting of insect resistance, disease resistance, water stresstolerance, heat tolerance, improved shelf-life, improved nutritionalquality, improved yield, and a combination thereof, (b) selecting one ormore progeny plants that have the trait to produce selected progenyplants; (c) backcrossing the selected progeny plants with plants ofgarden bean variety ‘Memphis’ to produce backcross progeny plants; (d)selecting for backcross progeny plants that have the trait; and (e)repeating steps (c) and (d) one or more times to produce furtherbackcross progeny plants that have the trait.

The trait may be any suitable trait known in the art including, forexample, male sterility, male fertility, herbicide resistance, insect orpest (e.g., insect and/or nematode) resistance, disease resistance(e.g., for bacterial, fungal and/or viral disease), water stresstolerance, heat tolerance, salt tolerance, modified fatty acidmetabolism, modified carbohydrate metabolism, improved shelf-life,improved nutritional quality, increased sweetness, increased flavor,improved ripening control, improved yield, industrial usage, or anycombination thereof. In some embodiments, the trait is a naturallyoccurring one. In some embodiments, the trait is a transgenic one. Insome embodiments, the trait is selected from the group consisting ofinsect resistance, disease resistance, water stress tolerance, heattolerance, improved shelf-life, improved nutritional quality, improvedyield, and a combination thereof.

V. Deposit Information

A deposit of the garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ (Breeder's designation‘PV-933’) is maintained by KWS Vegetables B.V., having an address atBronland 10, 6708 WH, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Access to thisdeposit will be available during the pendency of this application topersons determined by the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks to beentitled thereto under 37 C.F.R. § 1.14 and 35 U.S.C. § 122. Uponallowance of any claims in this application, all restrictions on theavailability to the public of the variety will be irrevocably removed byaffording access to a deposit of at least 2500 seeds of the same varietywith the National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria Ltd(NCIMB Ltd), Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen,AB21 9YA, United Kingdom.

At least 2500 seeds of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’ (Breeder'sdesignation ‘PV-933’) were deposited on Mar. 22, 2021 according to theBudapest Treaty in the National Collection of Industrial. Food andMarine Bacteria Ltd (NCIMB Ltd), Ferguson Building, Craibstone Estate,Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB21 9YA, United Kingdom. The deposit has beenassigned NCIMB Accession No. 43749. Access to this deposit will beavailable during the pendency of this application to persons determinedby the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks to be entitled theretounder 37 C.F.R. § 1.14 and 35 U.S.C. § 122. Upon allowance of any claimsin this application, all restrictions on the availability to the publicof the variety will be irrevocably removed. The deposit will bemaintained in the NCIMB depository, which is a public depository, for aperiod of at least 30 years, or at least 5 years after the most recentrequest for a sample of the deposit, or for the effective life of thepatent, whichever is longer, and will be replaced if a deposit becomesnonviable during that period.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A seed of garden bean variety designated‘Memphis’, wherein a representative sample of seed of the variety hasbeen deposited under NCIMB Accession No.
 43749. 2. A garden bean plantproduced by growing the seed of claim
 1. 3. A plant part from the plantof claim
 2. 4. The plant part of claim 3, wherein the part is a leaf, apod, a garden bean hull, a garden bean, a stem, a root, or a flower. 5.A garden bean plant having all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of the plant of claim
 2. 6. A plant part from the plantof claim
 5. 7. The plant part of claim 6, wherein the part is a leaf, apod, a garden bean hull, a garden bean, a stem, a root, or a flower. 8.A tissue culture of regenerable cells produced from the plant of claim2, wherein the cells of the tissue culture are produced from a plantpart selected from the group consisting of embryos, meristematic cells,leaves, pollen, roots, root tips, stems, anthers, pistils, pods,flowers, and seeds.
 9. A garden bean plant regenerated from the tissueculture of claim 8, wherein the plant has all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.
 10. Amethod for producing a hybrid garden bean seed, comprising crossing afirst parent garden bean plant with a second parent garden bean plantand harvesting the resultant hybrid garden bean seed, wherein the firstparent garden bean plant or the second parent garden bean plant is theplant of claim
 2. 11. An F1 garden bean variety ‘Memphis’-derived hybridgarden bean seed produced by the method of claim
 10. 12. A method forproducing a transgenic garden bean plant, comprising transforming theplant of claim 2 with a transgene that confers a trait.
 13. The methodof claim 12, wherein the trait is herbicide resistance, insectresistance, disease resistance, or a combination thereof.
 14. The methodof claim 13, wherein the trait is herbicide resistance, and theherbicide is selected from the group consisting of imidazolinone,sulfonylurea, glyphosate, glufosinate, L-phosphinothricin, triazine, andbenzonitrile.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the trait is diseaseresistance, and the disease is selected from the group consisting ofanthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum), halo blight (Pseudomonassyringae pv. phaseolicola), and a combination thereof.
 16. A transgenicgarden bean plant, or a plant part thereof, produced by the method ofclaim
 12. 17. A method for introducing a trait into garden bean variety‘Memphis’, the method comprising: (a) crossing a plant of garden beanvariety ‘Memphis’, wherein a representative sample of seed of thevariety has been deposited under NCIMB Accession No. 43749, with anothergarden bean plant that comprises a trait to produce F1 progeny plants,wherein the trait is insect resistance, disease resistance, water stresstolerance, heat tolerance, improved shelf-life, improved nutritionalquality, improved yield, or a combination thereof; (b) selecting one ormore progeny plants that have the trait to produce selected progenyplants; (c) backcrossing the selected progeny plants with plants ofgarden bean variety ‘Memphis’ to produce backcross progeny plants; (d)selecting for backcross progeny plants that have the trait; and (e)repeating steps (c) and (d) two or more times to produce furtherbackcross progeny plants that have the trait.
 18. A garden bean plant,or a plant part thereof, produced by the method of claim 17, wherein theplant has the trait and otherwise has all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of garden bean variety ‘Memphis’.
 19. Thegarden bean plant of claim 18, wherein the trait is herbicideresistance, and the herbicide is selected from the group consisting ofimidazolinone, sulfonylurea, glyphosate, glufosinate,L-phosphinothricin, triazine, and benzonitrile.
 20. The garden beanplant of claim 18, wherein the trait is disease resistance, and thedisease is anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemuthianum), halo blight(Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola), or a combination thereof.
 21. Amethod for producing a garden bean pod, comprising: (a) cultivating theplant of claim 2 to produce a garden bean pod; and (b) harvesting thegarden bean pod.
 22. The garden bean pod produced by the method of claim21, wherein the bean pod produced by the method has all of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the pod of saidgarden bean variety ‘Memphis’ when grown in the same environmentalconditions.